The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of The Great Gatsby: Cul...

Dir: Herbert Brenon

To a rooming house which has fallen on hard times comes The Stranger, an unknown but gentle man who is given the back room on the third floor. His arrival marks a change in the lives of all the boarders, from the girl resisting her parents' pleas that she marry the lecherous Mr. Wright, to an architect and a pianist, both of whose dreams are near destruction from their own discouragement.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Kreutzer Sonata perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Miriam, a young Russian girl, has an unfortunate love affair and is threatened with disgrace by having a child out of wedlock. Her father induces Gregor Randor, a young musician, to marry her, by paying him a sum of money. The couple migates to the United States, where they are later followed by Miriam's family, including her younger sister Celia. A love affair develops between Gregor and Celia, and despite their efforts at secrecy, Miriam learns about it. Torn between her outraged pride and her love for her young son, she confronts her cheating husband and her sister--to no avail. So she decides to wreak vengeance on them.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

In Paris, the beautiful orphan Henriette is kidnapped by the Marquis de Presles, a libertine, leaving her blind and defenseless friend Louise wandering the streets alone. While Mother Frochard, a beggar and thief, forces Louise to beg for her food, Henriette is rescued by the Chevalier de Vaudrey, who loves her. The chevalier's mother, the Countess De Liniere, discovers that Louise is her long-lost daughter and resolves to find her. In the meantime, Mother Frochard's son, a hunchback named Pierre, falls in love with Louise, and when his brother Jacques cruelly beats the girl, Pierre kills him. Just then, the countess locates Louise, and after the girl regains her sight, she is joined with Pierre. The countess then gives her consent to the marriage of her son and Henriette.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Two Orphans perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Gennaro, the son of Lucretia Borgia, lives unaware of the identity of his mother, who has married the Duke of Ferrara. After Lucretia's brother is killed by five conspirators, the fathers of Gennaro's dearest friends, Lucretia tortures the old men to death. Later, Gennaro and his companions journey to Lucretia's domain, and she sees her son for the first time. The Duke, who believes him to be her lover, poisons him, but Lucretia administers the antidote in time and saves his life. Then she schemes to poison her sons' five friends for their fathers' mistake. She succeeds in poisoning them all at a dinner at which Gennaro is an uninvited guest. In dismay, she pleads for him to take the antidote, but he refuses and in a fury avenges his friends by stabbing Lucretia. As he lies dying, he learns that she was his mother.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

A French orphan girl is adopted by a wealthy British nobleman. The family lives happily, unaware that a plot is afoot to kidnap the girl and make away with the nobleman's fortune.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Eternal Sin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The secret marriage of a farmer and servant girl in an English household leads to a child born that is not believed to be legitimate.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

Back from a crusade, the hero of Sir Walter Scott's novel fights for courtly love and Saxon honor.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of 12.10 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

A sultan agrees to help a wicked witch destroy a mysterious young lady if the witch will bring his young son back from the dead with magic.

Dir: Herbert Brenon

In her third picture, Bara is the wife-vampire.